


Nights like these.

by Red_In_Every_Sense_Of_The_Word



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: F/M, Nightmares, PTSD, Rebecca x Billy, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 1, billy is soft with her, canoncal character deaths mentioned, i am soft, i listened to ribs by lorde whilst writing this, i wrote half of this at 3am again, rebecca struggles sometimes, soft rebecca and billy, this was meant to be 1k and now its 3k
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_In_Every_Sense_Of_The_Word/pseuds/Red_In_Every_Sense_Of_The_Word
Summary: Every now and again, the nightmares come back to haunt her. But it's really the memories that are that much more frighteningOr: Rebecca has a nightmare of the past and calls Billy for help.
Relationships: Rebecca Chambers/Billy Coen
Comments: 1
Kudos: 34





	Nights like these.

**Author's Note:**

> Lord, this was a doozy to write out lol. It was supposed to be a 1k drabble that blew up into this huge 3k fluffy angst. 
> 
> If you really want the vibe of this fic I recommend putting Ribs by Lorde on your tv or loud speakers, maybe some earphones? It will really get you in the feel of the fic lol. Well I hope you enjoy this story!

It was dark. Not quite pitch black, rather a claustrophobic dimness that sank into the walls, hiding any recognisable details aside from the floor and ceiling. She could feel that there was more to this corridor than what she could see, normal every-day objects that you would find in a place like this. 

The panic simmered in her gut like waves, boiling her insides and crashing against its hollow prison inside her in a way that made her feel weak in the knees. She needed to get out. She needed to leave before the terror paralysed her. Damn, why couldn’t she see!? Which way was the exit? Each side looked the same, felt the same. She needed to choose, she needed to choose NOW.

Left? Right?!

She ran. Running, running, running. Along the never-ending corridor, sweat trickling down her brow, panic trickling into her heart. Her blood ran colder by the mile, the paranoia slowing her pace by the second.

She was caught.

She could barely breath as she felt the invisible force crush her windpipes. Slowly, painfully. She could almost hear her bones creaking under the pressure of the clawed fist that was wrapped around her neck. She gurgled and coughed, raking her fingernails across the things hand as it raised her near-limp body off the ground effortlessly.

It was getting darker, her vision was fading out.

Then, she could see, her surroundings popping back into her vision like a sudden flash of light, leaving her even more dizzy than before. She could see the rust coloured walls, could smell the iron and the oil. 

She could taste the blood gathered in her mouth, the bile threatening to surface.

The captured turned her gaze unto her captor.

She screamed.

Well, she tried to. The cry only surfaced as a lowly gasp for air. Her hands were bloody, fingernails torn ashreads from her attempts at breaking free. Her skin slowly turned a purplish blue, eyes rolling to face the decrepit bronze roof as tears drenched her paling face, her eyes holding a special kind of terror only prey can feel, as the Tyrant crushed her neck.

She screamed.

Bolt-right in bed, sweat coating her in an uncomfortable sheen that sent a shiver up her spine. She clutched at her neck, feeling around for invisible wounds and bruising. She coughed, hastily jumping out of bed before she gagged and dashed towards her bathroom.  
She released the contents of her stomach, chest heaving and shuddering with the mental anguish left over from her terrible nightmare. She stood shakily, disposing of the bile before peeling out of her sweat-soaked pajamas, turning on the shower and entering its steaming escape. She stood under the warm water for a few minutes, basking in the grounding reality of feeling fresh water on your skin, steadying her breath and forcing relaxation upon herself. 

The shaken woman washed away the unwanted moisture from her body, eventually turning off the water and drying herself off, before she changed into another light pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She padded into her kitchen, retrieving a bottle of water from the fridge before she sat herself at her table. She sipped slowly, making sure not to push her already-fragile stomach as she checked her phone.

03:39AM.

Perfect, as if she didn’t already have enough problems, now she was going to be sleep-deprived for the day ahead. She sighed, placing her head in her hands and resting her elbows on the smooth wood of her kitchen table. A familiar glint of silvery metal drew her gaze to her bedside table, visible by her open door. Humming to herself, she got up, crossing back into her room and picking up the pendent by its chain.

She returned to her seat, running her thumb absently over the letters of the dog tags she held. 

“Hmmm…” She exhaled, placing the dog tags in front of her. Her eyes flickered to her phone again as she picked it back up. She flipped through her contacts quickly, her finger hovering over the number she had been looking for. It was a gamble, he changed numbers like the wind, always a new burner phone, something untraceable that can’t be tracked by the government he was running from. She hummed again, thumb wiggling in thought over the call button. At the very least, she knew he was in town, he always made sure to let her know when he was close, a habit born out of survival instinct.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, at least not until she was able to talk about it. 

The number dialled.

She put the call on speaker, placing her phone next to her folded arms as she rested her head, listening silently to the dial tone. One ring, two. She tapped her fingers in an absent beat along her biceps as she grew frustrated. She mentally kicked herself. Of course he's not going to answer, not at this ungodly hour. She felt almost silly, she could almost laugh.

“Hello?”

She jolted upright in surprise, hitting her knee awkwardly against the underside of the table in the process. She let out a curse, hissing as she held the offended knee with her spare hand, her other already picking up her phone.

“Uh, Rebecca? You there?” The voice on the line spoke again. “Hey Billy, sorry you took me by surprise. Didn’t think you’d answer, let alone even still own this phone.” Rebecca responded, checking over her knee before sitting back down, crossing her legs and holding the phone between her hands. Billy chuckled. “You sure know how to greet a guy Dollface.” He snidely remarked. He grew quiet, sensing something was up when Rebecca didn’t answer back.

“You ok?” His voice was softer now, concern-laced and kind. Rebecca hummed, carding a hand through her hair. “I… Well…” She stuttered. How could she even begin to explain how not-ok she was? Billy merely hummed in thought, almost as if he understood how she was struggling. There was mutual silence for a bit, both very much stuck on what to say. Finally, after some thought, Billy spoke up. 

“Nightmare?” He concluded. Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief, the tension seeping away. “How could you tell?” She asked. “Well, you sounded pretty upset from the get-go, you’re obviously still tired judging by how you had seemed to zone out by the time I answered the call.” Billy trailed off, a smile in his voice as Rebecca huffed. “Oh, and you didn’t give me hell for calling you Dollface, as per usual. Definitely something up.” Billy teased. Rebecca rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, ok Sherlock, you’ve solved the case.” She shot back. Billy laughed. “You’re the cop Girl, I’m just good at reading you, that's all.” Rebecca smiled at that. “I’m not a cop anymore y’know.” Billy shifted slightly, the sound of fabric being moved alerting Rebecca to the possibility that she had woken him. “Yeah, well you’ll always be the same stubborn rookie to me.” He remarked warmly. 

Rebecca played with her hair subconsciously messing with the strand in her hand. “...Sorry if I woke you.” Billy snorted. “I was barely asleep anyways, you don’t get that luxury after the things I’ve seen-” He trailed off, going quiet. 

“...The things we’ve seen.” Rebecca finished, the mood growing cold as the tension seeped back in. 

“Want to talk about it?” Billy asked mutely. Rebecca stayed silent, feeling at her throat where the monster had squeezed the life out of her. Her head felt heavy, possibly the start of a headache, she concluded. Billy sighed on the other end. “Guess I'm gonna have to come to yours then.” Rebecca raised her head in surprise. “You don’t have to-” He steadily cut off. 

“Nope, you’re not making any excuses to get out of this. You don’t want to talk over the phone? Fine. I can tell you do want to talk though, and if it takes me driving all the way over there in the dead of night just so you can let it all out, then that’s fine too.” He finished. She heard him shuffling around, probably getting ready to leave. She almost felt like crying, it wasn’t often that anyone did something like this for her. 

“Thank you.” She near-whispered, cradling her phone close to her face. “Any time, Dollface.” He teased softly, his voice warming the chill she felt in her cold, empty apartment. She listened to him get in his car, listening to the engine start up before she rose, deciding to clear up a bit before he arrived. 

She deposited her sweaty pajamas in her washing hamper and loaded her dishwasher, cleared away some more clutter and even mopped down her counters and tables a little. She almost forgot about the dogtags on the table, quickly scooping them up before placing them in her desk drawer. 

She fell onto her sofa finally, turning on her tv, the call still active and her phone in her hand. They mutually basked in the near silence as Rebecca passed the time with some mindless channel surfing. She heard him murmuring to himself on the other end as he drove, the muted sounds of the night just barely a whisper. There was a certain calmness to this. It almost made her wonder what it would be like, to drive with the windows down on a warm summer's morning. The world would be asleep around them, the moonlight paling the passing trees and the streetlights pulling a glow from the paved pathways and alleys.

She couldn’t indulge in something like that though, not when she had a duty to fulfil. Her work was important, there weren't enough vaccines to combat the bioterrors created. She couldn’t afford to indulge in something like that, not when her work would be affected. It was a sad, but true fact. She didn’t mind too much though, she really did love her job, loved helping people. 

She almost felt guilty on nights like this, but she reminded herself that it wasn’t her fault, that she can’t blame herself for the things she had seen. She was only a victim, and victims should never be blamed for what they’ve been through. 

Rebecca had retreated so far into her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed Billy hang up, or even enter her apartment until he was standing behind her couch, leaning over to whisper in her ear. 

“Boo.” 

Rebecca jumped, nearly clocking Billy as he laughed. She threw a pillow half-heartedly at him, which he catched with ease, still laughing away as she narrowed her eyes at him. “Go on, keep laughing, I'm sure you'll still find it funny when I punch you in the face.” She huffed, snatching her pillow from Billy’s hands. He was wearing a simple white strapless top and black jeans, his favorite leather jacket in his arms as he put it on the back of one of her chairs.

“I really doubt you’d be able to land a punch on yours truly, but whatever.” That damn smirk, she thought to herself. She rolled her eyes, walking around him to retake her seat at the table. He sat down beside her, stretching his arms and yawning a little. 

“I meant it, thank you for coming. I know it must be hard to constantly be on the run, and I know how dangerous it is for you to go to places more than once, so thank you for caring enough about my wellbeing to risk putting your own at risk.” Rebecca has nothing but sincerity in her eyes, bold and warm. Billy couldn’t help but look away.

“Yeah, well. I’m sure you’d do the same for me in this situation, hell, you’ve done more...” Billy brushed her off. Rebecca grew visibly nervous as he continued. “...Which brings us to why i’m here.” She started to fidget with a charm on her phone, breaking eye contact. “Take your time Doll.” Billy shifted until his entire body faced her, placing his hands together in his lap. “I’ve got all night.” He smiled.

Billy’s patient demeanor served to calm Rebecca’s nerves. She took in a breath, and began to speak. She told him about the dark corridor and obscured vision. She relived the nightmare vividly as she spoke, detailing the frightfully familiar terrain they had previously travelled together in real life, and how she ran for what felt like miles. She mentioned how alone she felt in the dream, drawing tears to her eyes as she arrived at the darkest part of her nightmare. 

Billy took her hand, noticing her growing distress and squeezed it comfortingly. She gathered herself, before she started to explain the memory of her life draining from her. She finally finished talking, tears threatening to overtake her as Billy pulled her in gently for a hug. He whispered comforting words to her as she took in his scent of fresh linen and cigarette smoke. She steeled herself again, pulling back from his embrace slightly to wipe at her eyes. 

“I don’t really think about it much, I try not to at least. The nightmares always follow when I do. It's been so long since then, you would’ve thought that I’d get over what happened in the forest, and with the train and mansion- God, that damned mansion.” She stumbled over the words, the thoughts she kept inside spewing out of her like they begged to be free. “You know, the worst part of the nightmares, it isn’t the darkness, or the claustrophobia. Hell, the monster isn’t even the worst part. The worst part is the loneliness. I’m always completely on my own.” She looked down at her hands.

“I never thought, not even for a second. I never thought that my first mission would turn out like… That. I never even dreamed that I’d lose so many people in that short of a time span.” Her hands balled into fists. “When I joined the force, and became Bravo Team’s Medic, I thought I’d be able to help people. In the end, I couldn’t even save my own team.” Her hands went limp. Billy had stayed silent, listening to what she needed to say, and interjected.

“You did all you could, y’know.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “No one in your team was prepared for what happened in, and around that forest. No one was. You did your best.” Billy shrugged. Rebecca tensed. “I didn’t though.” She whispered. “I had so many chances to help, but I didn’t. I know I couldn’t help Forest, nor Kennith, but what about the others? I couldn’t help Edward and he ended up… Turning. It was already too late to help Kevin- God we shouldn’t have left him alone in that damn forest. 

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. “And Richard- oh, Richard. He was so kind to me, he didn’t deserve to go out like that… No... Rebecca paused, wiping away more tears as Billy merely nodded for her to go on. “...And Enrico. Damn, Enrico. You know, sometimes, I think about the events of that day. I remember the last time I saw Enrico vividly. Sometimes, I wonder what would’ve happened if I had gone with him.” She sniffed.

Her eyes widened, realising that she may have implied regret over saving Billy instead. She began to backpedal. “Of course I don’t regret saving your life, I wouldn’t change my decision for the world…” Billy held up a hand. “I get it. He was your teammate. No need to apologise for wondering how things would’ve turned out if you had picked differently.” He smiled slightly. 

“And for the record, I really appreciate you coming back for me.” He reclaimed his hold on her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles idly. “Anytime.” She repeated the words he had said earlier, smiling slightly herself. She thought for a moment, and decided to take his words as courage to carry on. 

“When I wonder about how different Enrico’s fate especially, could’ve turned out, I can’t help but think… What if I had gone with him, would that bastard...” Rebecca’s eyes grew dark with calm rage as she spoke his name. “...Wesker had still shot him? What if I could have intervened?” She hesitated before she finished her sentence, she already knew that Billy wouldn’t like it. 

“I wonder, could things have turned out better, if I had taken that bullet for Enrico?” She finished. Billy visibly tensed, his grip on her hand tightening. “That’s…” He was lost for words. Rebecca smiled thinly, cupping his hand in the both of hers. “It's ok. I know I shouldn’t think like that. I’m sure I’d get a stern talking-to from the rest of my team if they were still here.” She chuckled, warm yet melancholy. She took a deep breath, removing one of her hands from his and exhaling heavily.

“I think they’d all be proud of you.” Billy whispered, raising her occupied hand to his lips and placing a chaste kiss to her knuckles. Rebecca could feel the tears threatening to spill over again, she beamed, all watery eyes and gratefulness. She looked down, still smiling as her eyes stung. “I really hope so, i’m trying my best, not just for myself, but for those who just can’t anymore. All of us survivors are, not just me, but Chris, Jill and Barry too.” She squeezed his hand slightly, looking thought-stricken before she straightened.

She now looked determined, wiping the back of her free hand across her eyes quickly. “I refuse to be left behind too. Even if I haven’t gone down the same road as Chris and Jill, I will help bring Bioterrorism to its end. One vaccine at a time.” Billy grinned. “Ok then, glad to hear it.” Rebecca stretched, her back clicking. “Thank you for listening to me, I’m sure you’d rather be sleeping…” She rubbed her face. “I already said it's fine Girl, quit thanking me already.” Billy got up, walking towards her kitchen cupboards. 

Rebecca checked the time, 04:54AM. No point in trying to sleep now, not when she had to head into work at 7AM. She heard Billy moving around in the kitchen behind her, cups and plates clinking every now and again. She was about to go and check on what he was doing, before Billy exited the kitchen, holding two fresh steaming mugs. She gratefully took the offered one, taking in the sweet aroma of the hot chocolate he had made her. “Thought something sugary would be better for calming nerves.” Billy explained. 

He was about to sit down, before she placed a hand on his arm, an idea striking her. She instead grabbed her cup, motioning for Billy to do the same as she guided him alongside her to the large window facing the street outside her apartment. She sat on the still, Billy beside her. He was about to ask why exactly they were here, before he noticed it. 

The sun was rising.

“Since there's no point in trying to sleep now, and there's not much to do at this time of morning, I thought we could at least watch the sunrise to pass time.” Rebecca sipped at her hot chocolate. Billy placed his head against the cool window, eyes fixed on the swirling colours of blue, orange and pink. The two’s free hands somehow found their way back to each other, and Rebecca placed her head on his shoulder, as the rising sun marks a new day ahead for the both of them.

It’s never easy, nights like these. But maybe, just maybe, having someone around can lessen the burden.


End file.
